Car coupling



,1. H. PUNK. -CAR COUPLING.

' APu'QATloN H LED MAR. 9. |921. 1,418,784.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

n H' 7.1K JNVENTOR.

n BY ATT'oRNEYs,

mantenu@ 6,1922..

STAS

JOHN H. FUNK, OF S earners raies.

T. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR- COUPLING.

To all whom t may con cera:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. FUNK, a citizen of the United States. residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clearfand exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to car couplers of the general type shown in the patent to Onesime Hebert, patented December 28th, 1920, No. 1,363,973. In thatpatentthere is disclosed a coupler headpivoted to a draw bar and adapted to interlock with another similar coupler head so that when the said two heads are interlocked the said heads form a rigid mass7 .whereby press-on train-pipe or other pipe couplings which are mounted on the underside of each head may make a tight joint.

Couplings of the type disclosed in said patent are provided with rigid vcoupling lugs or hooks projecting forward adapted to interlock with the M. C. B. or Janney type coupler and each coupler head is also provided with a pivotedv knuckle operating in a space between the upper and lower sides of each rigid coupling hook, each knuckle being adapted to interlock with a corref sponding coupling head of'similar type.

The objects of the present invention are'.

(l) To increase the rigidity of a pair of interlocked couplers by causing an oblique face on the end of each projecting coupling lug` to engage with a curved surface on the ond of the draw bar through which the coui plingpin passes.

(2) To improve the tripping toe and coupling head of the knuckles in such manner as to make it more difficult to trip said knuckles, and

( 3) To improve the releasing lever where- Vby said knudkles may be tripped to unlock a pair of coupler heads from interlocking engagement with each other.

' The invention consists in the combinations. and details of construction 'set forth. in the ensuing description7 illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein corresponding reference characters designate correspondingparts throughout the several views:

i igure l is a horizontal section through Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aune 6,1922, 1921. serial. ivo. 450,867.

interlocked coupler heads on a plane above the draw bar;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the iinproved coupling;

Figure 3 is a front elevation thereof with a part broken away adjacent to the point of connection of the tripping lever.

In said drawings, 1 designates a hollow coupler head ofthe type shown in the aforesaid patent; 2 the draw har pivoted in the coupler head l by means of the coupling pin 3. The front end of said draw bar is curved horizontally corresponding to a partly cylindrical surface as indicated at 2a. On the upper surface of the inner end of Vthe draw'bar 2 is a V-shaped protuberance 2h adapted to engage with a corresponding 1 V-shaped cavity in the coupling head for the purpose of causing said coupling head, when free, to gravitate into alinement with the draw bar. Each coupling head is provided on one side with an opening lb, the front ledge of which constitutes an abutment la for engaging with the knuckle of a companf ion coupler in the usual manner.

Projecting forward from the front face r of the coupling head is a coupling hook or .lug 4;, having a point la and hook member 4" designed to interlock with a knuckle of an M. C. 'BL coupler. They front end of said hook kfhas an inclined face 4c extending from the point la to the hooks 4b, and a slot :or space 4L@ is provided between the upper and lower si'des'of said hook 4 within which moves a 'pivoted knuckle. The disposition and arrangement of the face te of said projecting coupling hook 4 is such. with respect to the curved surface 2a of the head of the draw bar`r Vthat when the front faces of two coupling heads are in contact and the respective hooks 4 are inserted within the openings of the mating couplersi the said surfaces e@ and 2a will be in firm contact, and the said hook will substantially touch on said surface 2a and on the wall of the outer side of the cavity in the head, thus assisting in maintaining rigidity between the two cou-- pling heads when interlocked.

"The knuckles which are utilized for interlocking two of the coupler heads l, are designated 5. Each knuckle is pivoted by :means of apin 6 to the coupler head, said taken from the pin 6. Each knuckle, as stated, is adapted t move horizontally in the said space le of the rigid coupling hook a. On the outer side of each knuckle is an engaging surface 5, inclined as shown, and adapted to engage behind the abutment l.a of a. mating coupler, whereby the said cou plers may be interlocked and the inclination of the surface 5 and its relation to the pivot 6 is such that wear takes place lost motion will be compensated for.

Each knuckle has a transversely' projecting` portion 5C constituting a tripping toe. In the present invention this tripping toe has a peculiar formation adapted to interlit with a corresponding formation on the inner side of a hook member termed on the pivoted knuckle. The knuckle head hook, formed so that it may not interfere with the interlocking of said rigid hook with a coupler of foreign type, has its outer surface serving to contact with the tripping toe, so that when pressure is applied to one knuckle to unlock it from its engagement with a mating coupler head, it will, by pressure upon the tripping toe of the other knuckle also unlock said other knuckle. In the said patent to Hebert the curvatures of the tripping toe and oi the head ofthe knuckle where they come in contact, are opposed convex surfaces, whereby when pressure is applied to a knuckle to release it froml engagement with a coupler head, the movement is communicated with considerable ease and freedom to the other knuckle. In order to render it more difficult to uncouple, Ihave formed the'contacting portions o'l the tripping toe and the knuckle head so that they may interlit and tend to hold each other in the locking position, but will yield under su'tiicient pressure. For this reason there is formed in the toe 5 a hollow 5d adapted to intcrtit with a curved projection 5e on the head of the corresponding knuckle, and I have also formed a swell 5f on theV toe which engages with a corresponding hollow 5g on the head. As a result of this constructionl it will be perceived that the camming" action is rendered more diiicult because of the relative steepness of the curved surfaces which interfit when the knuckles are interlocked in. a pai-r of mating couplers.

The knuckles are continually pressed outward towards interlocking position by means ci a spring 5i seated in a bore in the knuckle and bearing against the sliding pin 50, the outer end ot which presses against an abutment l on the coupling head. By this construction it is apparent that even it the spring 51 becomes broken, the several broken pieces will act as one spring since they cannot pass each other.

In order to trip with ease the pair of i`n `terlocked knuckles of the construction described, I have provided a long lever 7 extending perpendicularly and pivoted in the lugs Tb cast on one outside face of the couA pling head, a pin 7 passing through said lever and lugs. Gn the upper end ot said lever 7 I prefer to mount a wear roller 7a which comes opposite the opening lb and in position to press upon the face 5b ol" a knuckle head. lVhen. there-fore, the lower end of the lever 7 is moved outward, as by pulling upon the link le or other suitable connection, the roller 7 presses strongly against the said surface 5* and releases the knuckle from engagement with the shoulder la and by pressurev communicated to the tripping toe of the mating knuckle, the said mating knuckle is at the same time released. Y

By placing the tripping lever perpendicularly as shown, I am enabled to use a lever of greater length than by placing` said lever horizontally, because the car structure limits the length of a horizontal lever, whereas the perpendicular lever may extend a considerable length downward without inter! ference with any part of the car or coupler structure.

In the type of coupler shown and with which the releasing lever described .is intended to be used is a carrier block or shoe depending from the under side `of the coupler. This carrier block or shoe lll, which supports the train pipe couplings is of great strength and by reason of the presence of this coupling the lever 7 may be extended downward as 'Par as the lower end of the shoe, it desired, the heavy shoe serving to protect the lever from contact with objects in front of the moving car.

rIhe coupler heads described when interl'ocked form a rigid mass insuring the proper sealing of the joints between the press-on coupling devices 15, i6 and 17, when two cars are coupled. Said press-on couplings are mounted yieldably in a carrier block or shoe la by means of flanges 19. engaged by guides l0 cast integral with a coupler head and the rear of the block 14:` abuts against a stop lug 13, as more particularly described in a copending application filed by me.

Having described my invention in such manner as to enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, what I claim and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a pair of' coupler heads having front `abuttirig faces, a draw bar pivoted within each coupling head, said draw bar having a partly cylindrical front end, each coupler head having a rigid coupling hook adapted to engage with the knuckle of a standard coupler, said hook having a vertical front face oblique to the center line of the coupler heads, the outer side of said hook engaging the side wall of the cavity and the oblique end engaging the partly cylindrical end of the draw har in a companion coupler when said coupling heads are interlocked, and means for interlocking the said coupler heads.

2. The combination of a pair of coupler heads adapted to be interlocked, a knuckle, having means to interlock with a companion head, pivoted at one side of each' coupler head, each coupler head having a side opening for engagement with the knuckle of a companion head, a hook formed body opposite the engaging portion of each knuckle, and a locking toe opposite the hook formed body of a. companion knuckle when in interlocking relation, said hook formed memhers and locking toes each having a hollow and a swell, the hollows and swells on the hook formed portions intertting with the swell, and hollows on the locking toes to resist force tending to unlock said knuckles.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

JOHN H. FUNK. 

